I got some very cool stuff recently while thrifting. You can see in the photo my treasures:
- khaki trench coat
- vibrant Columbia windbreaker (for 5K training),
- ivory silk shirt
- ivory cotton cardigan
Since I cannot wear ivory , I will dye both of those pieces a bright color (ok with natural fibers). Total spent- $5.00
Why do I like to thrift? For one thing, I don’t have gardening to keep me out of trouble, at least for now. But also, it is one way I can live more simply and learn to recycle, reuse, etc. According to the folks at eartheasy.com,
“approximately 12 million tons of textile waste is generated each year in North America amounting to approximately 68 lbs of waste per household per year! An astounding 5% of all landfill production is textile waste.”
Therefore the more used clothing we buy, the more gentle we are on our landfills and other resources. Of course I save lots of money too. My estimate of original cost of those items:
- London Fog trench coat $125+
- Columbia Wind Breaker $50+
- Silk Shirt $60+
- Cotton Cardigan 50+
That’s $285 dollars to buy these quality items new. And the condition of each was almost new, especially the trench coat. I don’t expect to wear a formal rain coat much in arid WY, but I am going back to the rainy motherland of Ohio for a few weeks. It will be great to wear in the rain while schlepping around to all those yummy restaurants, coffeehouses, and STORES.
If you are interested in thrifting, know that it is it’s a learned skill. You have to learn to recognize quality stuff and be willing to say “no” to something that is nice but won’t look great on you. You also need to visit thrift stores frequently to find the good stuff.
The easiest finds are tops, skirts, dresses, fleece, and sweaters. I also buy men’s oxford shirts, my favorite clothing item. I suggest that you don’t buy pants unless you know the brand and style and you are sure you like them. Shoes are not usually a wise buy.
Yard sale season is around the corner. You’d be amazed what you can find at those! Just be picky and get ONLY stuff you currently need.
